Switch-operating mechanism.



H. W. McCLUNG 8: J. C. EAHEABT.

SW ITCH OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20, 915.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

Z SHEETSSHEET 1.

H. W. McCLUNG & J. C. EAHEART.

SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20, i915.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- llNlTED STATESPATENT @FFICE.

HUBER! W. MOCLUNG AND JOSEPH C. EAHEART, 0F RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

SWITCH-OPERATING MECHANISM.

neoaeoa.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

Application filed February 20, 1915. Serial No. 9,626.

To all whom itmay concern Be it known that we, HUBERT' W. MG- CLUNG and Josnrii C. EAHEART, citizens of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Operating Mechanism; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains t make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in mechanism for operating switches from a moving car and the principal object is to provide a mechanically operated device of this character which is of simple construction, reliable and efficient in operation and which may be easily operated.

Another object of our invention is to provide switch mechanism that may be operated to throw the switch point into either position by simply treading upon a pedal carried upon the platform of a car, the car being provided with means arranged in advance of the wheels and to engage track carried means that will move the switch as desired.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a street railway switch showing a portion of the main track and our improved track carried operating means in top plan, Fig; 2 represents a cross sectional view taken through the switch on line 22 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of a car and of the track showing the track broken away, Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a part of the car carried means, Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a modified form of car carried means, Fig. 6 is a cross sectional viewtaken through one view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, 1 and 2 designate main line rails, 3 and 4 siding or switch rails and 5 a switch point of the ordinary construction. These rails and switch point are of the type employed for street railways, the rails 1, 2, 3, and a being of the grooved type.

Carried upon the inner faces of the rails 1 and 2 at points in advance of the switch point 5 and arranged opposite to one another are casings 6 which are open at their upper and lower ends and on their inner side faces. Eotatably mounted within these casings 6 upon shafts 7 that are secured within the casings are elongated operating trips 8. Each of these trips 8 is journaled centrally of its ends and provided at its ends with extensions 9. On the faces of the trips thatare opposed to the rails are formed angular projections 10 which are arranged to engage in recesses 11 in the rails to hold the trips in operative position.

Expansive springs 12 are mounted upon the shafts 7 between the trips 8 and the inner side walls of the casings, the springs serving to hold the projections 10 in yielding engagement with the opposed portion of the rails. The rails 1 and 2 have the grooves therein deepened as at 13 at points in juxtaposition to the trips 8 and said trips are disposed within the deepened portions 13 of the groove centrally of the ends of the deepened portions for a purpose which will be later described. It is in the inner side faces of the deepened portions that the recesses llto receive the projections 10 are formed. Arranged beneath the open ends of the casings 6 are receptacles 1 1 to receive any foreign matter which may have been dropped withinthe casings. The receptacle 1 1 which is preferably in the form of a bucket of the folding type is composed of a bottom and side and end walls, one of the side walls being provided with a chute sec,- tion 1 1 hinged at the bottom at 14 and provided at the ends with wings 14. The

adjacent side wall of the bucket or recep- I casing 6 to the switch point are semicylindrical casings 15 which'have their open faces next to the rails. Mounted within these casings are rotatableoperating shafts 16 which are journ'aled in suitable bearings 17. The ends of the shafts 16 which are disposed adjacent to the trips 8 are provided with inwardly and right angularly directed trip engaging portions 18. The portions 18 are extended through openings formed in the rails 1 and 2 and are disposed beneath said trips 8 so as to be engaged by the trips when the latter are rotated, the openings being of sufficient size to permit the portions 18 to be moved downwardly when engaged by the trips. The trips moving downwardly will cam the portions 18 out of their paths and pass them to position themselves ready for the next approaching car. ward movement of the portions 18 the shafts 16 are rotated. I 7

The other ends of the shafts are provided with upwardly directed enlarged and forked portions 19 that'are disposed within the enlarged ends 20 of the casings 15. The cas ings 15 are enlarged to permit the portions 19 to move arcuately at right angles to their longitudinal axes. Secured horizontally between the rails 1 and 2 is a cylindrical casing 21 in which is slidably mounted a switch operatingrod 22. The rod 22 is pivoted at its ends as at 23 to the portion 19 on the shaft 16 and at a point adjacent to one end is fixed to a depending projection 2AE carried by the switch point 5. Itwill be seen that the rod 22 is caused to slide upon the r0ta tion of either one of the shafts 16, thus the switch point 5 is moved as desired. ,In having two of the members 8 and parts for cooperation therewith the switch may be moved to either position as desired. Referring to the car carried mechanism for operating the rotatable trips 8, A designates a car. Mounted on the platformof the car are hooks 25 two of these hooks being provided. The hooks 25 are pivoted at the free ends of their shanks to brackets 26 carried on :thefioor of thelpla tform of the car A, at the forward end of said platform and the hooks are supported in rearwardly and downwardly inclined position, ,with their lower angular ends inspaced relation toithe rails of the track but in position above the rails, The free endsof the hooks 25 directed right angularly as at- 27 and the Upon down- 7 right angularly directed portions are designed to engagerin the: grooves in the rails and enter the deepened portions 13 thereof prior to their engagement with the projec; tions 9'on the members 8. A depending slotted frame 28 is provided for each of the hooks 25. V The frame 28 issecured to the platform of the car A. Pivoted upon the frame 28 are releasingbell cranks 29. The upper ends of the bell cranks are directed laterally as at 3'0, and the laterally directed portions are disposed so as to support the hooks 25 in up positionas shown in Fig. 5' ofthe drawings. The other ends of the bell cranks are pivotally connected with operating rods 31. The rods 31 extend upwardly 7 through the floor of the platformand are provided with pedals or heads 32 at their upper ends. Springs 33 of the expansive type are positioned upon the r0ds31b'etween the heads. and floor of the platform ofthe car A. These springs return the bell cranks and operating mechanism therefor to normal position. The upright portion of the bell crank is inclined so that it presents an inclined face to the shanks of the hooks. In operation when it isdesir'ed to operate the switch either one ofthe pedals 32 is de- 7 pressed causing the bell crank 29; to rock and the portion 30thereof to be moved out of supporting engagement with the hook which it supports. The hook 25' then drops down into the groove of the rail and upon entering the. deepened portion 13 of the groove andengaging the projection 9 on the member 8 the member 8 is rotated. hen the trip 8 rotates oneend thereof engages and forces'downwardly the portion 18 of one of the shafts 16 causing the shaft to rotate and the rod 22 to slide in the casing 21. Upon the sliding of rod 22 the switch point is moved. and it will be seen that by operating either one or the other of the trips 8 the switch point may be. moved into the desired position. the trip 8 rotates the shank of the hook 25 is moved upwardly and over the portion 'of the bell crank 29. t The spring 33 forces the portion 30 back into supporting position and it will be seen thatthe hooks are automatically moved into supported position after being operated.

,VVith particular reference to Fig. 4 wherein we have illustrated a modified form of hook releasing mechanism, 34' designates a hook 'shda bly mounted within a depending frame 35 carried by the car. A release rod '36 is'p'ivoted at "its lower end as at 37 to the frame 35 and has a horizontally disposed supporting portion 138 formed intermediate its ends and arranged to" support the hook 34. From the portion 38 the rod is directed upwardly and slidably connected with a horizontal slidable rod 39. I The rod 39 is supported in a bracket 40 which is secured to and depends from the platform of the car. An expansion spring 41 is mounted upon the rod 39 and disposed between the bracket 40 and upper end of the release rod 86. This spring tends to return the releasing mechanism to normal position. Pivoted upon a bracket 42 that is secured to the platform of the car is a bell crank 43. This bell crank is pivoted to the adjacent end of the rod 39 and also to a vertically slidable operating rod 44. The rod 44 is slidable through the floor of the platform and carries a head 45 at its upper end.

In practice, we have found that the form of our invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most eflicient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of our device will necessarily vary, we desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of our invention, as claimed.

What is claimed is 1. In switch operating mechanism, the combination with grooved rails and a switch point of rotary trip members mounted within the grooves of the rails, rods connected with the switch point and associated with the trip members to be moved when the trip members are rotated to shift the switch point, and means to releasingly lock the trip members in position.

2. In switch operating mechanism, the combination with grooved rails and a switch point of rotary trip members mounted within the grooves of the rails, rods connected with the switch point and associated with the trip members to be moved when the trip members are rotated to shift the switch point, means to releasingly lock the trip members in position, comprising projections carried' by the trip members, the rails having recesses therein to receive said projections and spring means to yieldingly hold said projections in engagement with the rails.

3. In switch operating mechanism, the combination with grooved rails and a switch point of rotary trip members mounted within the grooves of the rails, rods connected with the switch pointand associated with the trip members to be moved when the trip members are rotated to shift the switch point, means to releasingly lock the trip members in position, comprising projections carried by the trip members, the rails having recesses therein to receive said projections, spring means to yieldingly hold said projections in engagement with the rails, and car carried means to engage and rotate said trip members.

4. In a switch operating mechanism, the combination with grooved rails and a switch point, of casings secured to the inner faces of the rails, shafts journaled in the casings and rails, rotary trip members secured to the shafts, rods connected with the switch point and associated with the trip members to be moved when the trip members are rotated to shift the switch point, and means to releasingly lock the trip members in posi tion.

5. In switch operating mechanism, the combination with grooved rails having recesses therein, and a switch point of casings secured to the faces of the rails, shafts journaled in the casings and rails, rotary trip members secured to the shafts, projections formed on the trip members and received within the recesses of the rails, means for normally holding the projections within the recesses, and rods connected with the switch point and associated with the trip members to be moved when the trip members are rotated to shift the switch point. I

6. In switch operating mechanism, the combination with grooved rails having recesses therein and a switch point, of casings secured to the inner faces of the rails, shafts journaled in the casings and rails, rotary trip members secured to the shafts, projections formed on the trip members and re ceived within the recesses of the rails, springs mounted on the shafts and bearing against the casings and trip members to urge the projections into the recesses of the rails, and rods connected with the switch point and associated with the trip members to be moved when the trip members are rotated to shift the switch point.

7. In switch operating mechanism, the combination with grooved rails and a switch point, of casings secured to the inner faces of the rails, shafts journaled in the casings and rails, rotary trip members secured to the shafts, oppositely disposed extensions formed on the ends of the trip members to be engaged by a mechanism carried by a car, rods connected with the switch point and as sociated with the trip members to be moved when the trip members are rotated to shift the switch point, and means to releasingly lock the trip members in position.

8. A switch operating mechanism, the combination with grooved rails and a switch point, of casings secured to the inner faces of the rails, said rails provided with slots therein, shafts journaled in the casings and rails, rotary trip members secured to the shafts, rods connected with the switch point and provided with their ends bent at right angles and extending through the rails to be engaged by the trip members to move the rods to shift the switch point, and means to "9. 111 aswitch Operating mechanism, the

combination with grooved rails and a switch point, of casings secured to the inner faces of the rails and provided with their upper ends, lower ends and inner slde faces opened, receptacles positloned under the casmgs,

shafts journaled in the casings and rails, rotary trip members secured to the shafts,

rods connected with the switch point and aslower ends and inner side faces opened, folding receptacles positioned under the casings, shaftsjournaled in the casings and rails, rotary trip members secured to the shafts, rods connected with the switch point and associated with the trip members to be moved 7 when the trip members are rotated to shift the switch point, and means toreleasingly lock the trip members in position.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signa- V tures in presence of two witnesses.

HUBERT W, MCGLUNG. o

JOSEPH C. EAHEART.

Witnesses:

J. H. WILDT, ,K. E. TYLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the, Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. G. r 

